Shelly Figueroa just relaunched her pattern company, Figgy's. Holy Mother of Little People Sewing. The new patterns are pretty girl-centric, but as the mother of two awesome boys, I know she won't leave the boys out in the cold (not to mention, she co-wrote a whole darn book on sewing for boys). But that's beside the point-- do you see that dress?

I love these patterns. They are a little Ottobre meet Japanese Craft Book. They are sweet without being too sweet. They are simple but they don't skimp on the details. Shelly recently began working with Daniela and they are making magic together. I saw the samples at her house today and I'm getting my hands on all three patterns (there are 5 total garments and variations of each) of these as soon as possible. I have nieces. They need leggings and easy-over-your-head blouses. They need that freaking dress.

Figgy's is running a pre-order free shipping promo at the moment (until the 24th). They are printing up next week and will ship the first week of December, so you can eek out some pre-holiday sewing if that's your game. See here for close-ups and variations and more patterns from previous seasons.

We are having the most colourful autumn I can ever remember having. The people in the know say it has to do with the late warm temps and the leaves holding onto their sugar longer. Maybe this is what it's like to have fall on the east coast? It is amazing-- even in the fog and rain. I hope we can take a drive this weekend and really get a good look. The boys hate to take drives.

I wrote a piece for this month's NW Kids Magazine. If you're local and you're seeing a Dr. in the next few weeks, I'm guessing you'll run into one in the waiting room. (Two of Autumn's kids are on the cover)! Otherwise, you can read it here. We went to the dentist yesterday and someone was reading it when we walked in and I wanted to sink into the floor (there are pictures). That was before the three year-old's meltdown over the prize machine.

Stephanie came over late this summer for an afternoon of cucumbers and brine. The results are in the most recent 3191 Quarterly. I love the Quarterly-- and my hand's cameo aside, this is a really beautiful issue. Thank you Stephanie and Maria!

I just opened up the sweetest package from Eireann'sshop. I have loved her calendar this last year and this time I ordered cards: these and these.

Thanks to my sister, Paul and I are going to a show tomorrow night! I'm very happy. They are the authors of the quilt, after all. And it's a sit down show, which suits old-lady-sunday-drive me just fine.

We are happy about this baby girl. I didn't quite get there last post, did I? Yes. Very happy. Shock and happiness don't have to be mutually exclusive, right? Thank you for your good thoughts and kind words. I have already serged up the edges of some of that double knit. I washed it and put it away in the drawer next to some of my nieces hand-me-downs and a unopened package of tiny onesies. I love tiny onesies.

The rest of my piles don't look so neat, and I had a good little chat with myself about the amount of fabric sitting here and vowed to keep any new textile purchases confined to batting, thread and solid white and off-white cotton. I have finished up two more small throws for friends and I am trying to work my way through the unfinished pile. It's now or never, people! On top of that, I have a new sewing machine that I purchased used at the end of the summer. I had been casually looking for a while, and then specifically looking for several months. I had all but given up and then the craigslist stars aligned and I was able to bring home a barely used Bernina 440 for a stunner of a deal. I feel pretty lucky.

Luck precipitated action and I pulled out two cotton linen prints to make it a cover and practice free motion quilting with the stitch regulator. I used a print from the Tammis Keefe tribute line and a Japanese folk print I've had for ages. I bound it to be double sided and used two leather buttons and two lengths of fold over elastic to finish it up. I used elastic so that it will fit around the table that is usually attached to the arm. It's very similiar in style to Rashida's cover in her book I *Heart* Zakka.

It is a great machine and before it's novelty wears off (maybe it never will?) I'm getting through that to-do pile with lightening speed. It feels so good to be sewing again. And who am I kidding about not sewing very many little girl things? That just seemed a silly the minute I wrote it down.

We are muddling along in the basement, but I'm not holding my breath that I'll be able to move my machine and my hoardy stash down there before February. I'm pulling piles out to work on around the kitchen table if I need to: gifts for the boys, a few quilts/throws to work on, a short list for Miss Gestation.

This is a Girl Baby that I'm growing.

We were not anticipating that news, and it has taken a while to settle in. I don't know if it's just 2nd pregnancy, or that I'm 7 years older, or that this is a girl, but everything seems much different than the first time around. It is probably a combination of all of those things! At this point it's been all very by-the-book and I'm reminded how, unlike so many people I know, being pregnant is really Not My Thing. It's not really the boy's thing either, and August is forever trying to push in my belly and Manny has yelled "SO CHUBBY!!" more than once while jumping on top of me.

While they are concerned with all this outward changing, I lay awake at night thinking about gender politics, mothers and daughters, and, uh, fabric. Obviously. I pulled these piles of knits to keep in the to-do pile. I will probably not sew much for this little person to begin with, but there's no harm in making plans. Right? The top left is a striped double knit Epplant gave me for my birthday last year. Underneath is a jersey with tiny stripes in cream and mauve-pink (one of the pinks that I really do like and keep coming back to) that I had been saving for myself. The other three are Nani Iro double knits: red dots are scraps (also from Mariko) and the two others are actually pointelle (!) I bought from Miss Matatabi. The Nani Iro knits will be swaddling blankets, I think. They are pretty narrow at 33", but I have more than a metre of each and when we are done swaddling I'll turn them into clothes or scarves. It is not cheap to buy, but it is the softest kind of knit after it is washed and I love it.

I'm going to get together a pile of lawn and voile to sew for a growing girl. A GIRL. THERE WILL BE A SMALL GIRL IN THIS HOUSE.